Semi-weekly south Kentuckian., 1887-01-18
Communicated
How Lawyer Kirk Settled a Muss
and got His Start-A Nara
tive Of Early Times in
Hopkinsville.


Hopkinsville.
About the year 1872 HopkinsyilI
was but lively village of some 60
or 800 inhabitants and they consider
ably scattered. There were but fey
stores in the county outside of town
People who lived at considerable dis
tances from town did not come Il
town more than three or four time
in the year 10 barter their beeswax
ginseng, etc, for spun truck aud tn,
like.
In those days there lived a famill
in the Humdurgin country by tn
name of Prowler. The family con
sisted of old man John and two sons
Ike and Ben, one girl, Mollie, or Mol
as she was called by the family ant
neighbors, and the old "ooman," aun
Peggy, or Peg, as she was called il
her "beat ;"old man John was hardly
known by his right name, but was
known in town as well as in his dis
trict by the characteristic name OF
Boss Shanks, from the reason of in
variably wearing his pants some five
or six inches too short and his home
knit sox about the same, so there was
Il gap between the two of some inches
showing pair of yellow shanks
somewhat scratched with brush and
briars.
The boys and Moll had never seen
show, although they were,lS and 90
years of age and Mol was l6. The
old lady had been 10 only one in her
life. So when Boss Shanks came
from town he electrified the family
by telling that there was "guyen to
be surcus show on the-day NV
June with shonuff live clown" 1t
was settled at once that all hands
would attend. On the show day the
Prowler family were on the road
early. The old man and two boys
walking and carrying their jeans
coats on their arms, old aunt Peg and
Moll riding In a two wheeled cart
patched up by the Boss and his boys
with body of clapboards and hickory
withes, with old Jerry very good
blind horse hitched to it. They were
loaded, with "aigs and sang" which
they intend to sell for show money.
In due time they arrived and tainted
not, and disposed of their cargo to
good advantage. The old man hitch
ed old Jerry to limb in the hol-
low, close to the Rock Spring and
went up town to see the sights.
Being very fond of "red eye he got
comfortably full by the time
the show tent was up. lie always
talked very loud, but now he could
lie heard all over town Dragging OH
the hardihood of his boys and the
good looks of his darter, Mol. Fina-
ly the hour arrived for The circus to
begin, and in went the Prowler fami-
ly. They enjoyed the performance
hugely.
The tent was without top, just side
curtains around. 1t was pitched on
a lot that was then vacant, where Dr.
Webber afterwards lived in the house
now occupied by Petree & Littell as
law offices. During the performance
a lot of men and boys got on top of
the old building that stood where
now stands the elegant store rooms
of Jones Il Co., and Hopper & Son.
During the performance the clown
stopped suddenly in song and was
gazing intently at the parties on the
house top, (Which was a hotel then.)
What are you looking at, demanded
the ringmaster ~ was looking at
them buzzards gone to roost so soon
in the day." he replied (Fhe block
was known ever afterwards until IL
Yves torn down, by the aristocratic
name of"the buzzard roost.")
Well after the performance was
over, Boss Shanks wanted to make
tha acquaintance of the clown and
suggest some points that he might
make at night he said, but aunt Peg
gy got him out. Well he had some
trouble in finding the boys but they
finally got together and went down
TO the spring when one of the boys
made the startling discovery that
Jerry and the cart were gone. After
looking around for them short time
one of the boys started on foot out
the road home to see if he could dis
coyer them. Mean while the Boss
was holloing TO every one he knew, !
asking If eyer haint seed nuthin NV |
Jerry haiDt yer2" lie had gotten so
excited in the time that he was talk
ing very loud, besides he had got
pretty full in the rounds and crowd
of the town boys was following him
around to hear him rave and say odd
things. Finally he went in grocery
and after taking another drink he
seated himself on flour barrel and
commenced on the town as being sich
n thieving hole. "Drat If cant lick
the white livered skunk that stold
Jerry outen his hide with one hand
tied ahind me" said he, "and Tie du
il tu If ifeyer | find him Just to think
Peg and Moll will have In hoof IL
home" "lIold him sumbody yer
know his temper" yelled small
boy near the door "IIold who, yer
thieves Nv thunder" and he made a
motion to rise but some of the BOYS
had tackled the tail of his long Jeans
coat to the barrel. In his sudden
jerk he over set the barrel on dogs
tail, the dog raised his share of noise
TO add to the general uproar. In the
meantime some of the boys had slip
ped a full bunch of firecrackers In
his coat pocket So as soon as they
got him comparatively quiet and
gathered round him one of the crowd
set fire TO the flre-crackers. Then
they all started in hurry holloing, {
"look out Boss, look out for thieves, !" {
'.who's frade"-bang-bang, went 4
th crackers. Boss Shanks turned :
around several times endeavoring to
discover what was up, but failed and /
to getaway as fast as his 81
Yellow shanks would carry him. or /